Users of smaller computer systems typically do not have sophisticated programming skills, and user-transparent programmable parameter switches have been suggested to simplify configuration of the systems to the user's needs. However, the routines that are required to so configure such systems are complex, error prone, and time consuming. It is an objective of the present improvement to substantially reduce the time delay experienced by a user before he can do productive work on the system upon re-powering or resetting of the system after a power-down, so long as no cards are changed in, added to, or removed from the slots.